Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PEN'MAN, n. [plur. Penmen. See Pen and Man.]

1. A man that professes or teaches the art of writing. More generally,
2. One that writes a good hand.
3. An author; a writer; as, the sacred penmen. – Addison.

PEN'MAN-SHIP, n.

1. The use of the pen in writing; the art of writing.
2. Manner of writing; as, good or bad penmanship.

PEN'NACH-ED, a. [Fr. pennaché or panaché, from panache, a plume or bunch of feathers.]

Radiated; diversified with natural stripes of various colors; as, a flower. [Little used.] Evelyn.

PEN'NANT, or PEN'NON, n. [Fr. fanion, pennon; It. pennone; Sp. pendon; W. penwn; Goth. fana, L. pannus, a cloth.]

1. A small flag; a banner. [See Pendant.]
2. A tackle for hoisting things on board a ship. – Ainsworth.

PEN'NATE, or PEN'NA-TED, a. [L. pennatus, winged, from penna, a quill or wing.]

1. Winged.
2. In botany, a pennate leaf is a compound leaf in which a simple petiole has several leaflets attached to each side of it. [See Pinnate.]

PEN'NED, a.

Winged; having plumes. – Huloet.

PEN'NED, pp.

Written.

PEN'NER, a.

1. A writer.
2. A pen-case. [Local.] – Ainsworth.

PEN'NI-FORM, a. [L. penna, a feather or quill, and form.]

Having the form of a quill or feather. – Encyc.

PEN-NIG'ER-OUS, a. [L. penna and gero.]

Bearing feathers or quills.

PEN-NIG'ER-OUS, a. [L. penna and gero.]

Bearing or producing feathers. [1841 Addenda only.]

PEN'NI-LESS, a. [from penny.]

Moneyless; destitute of money; poor. – Arbuthnot.

PEN'NI-LESS-NESS, n.

The state of being moneyless.

PEN'NING, ppr.

Committing to writing.

PEN'NON, n. [See PENNANT.]

PEN'NY, n. [plur. Pennies or Pence. Pennies denotes the number of coins; pence the amount of pennies in value. Sax. penig; D. and Sw. penning; G. pfennig; Dan. penge, money.]

1. An ancient English silver coin; but now an imaginary money of account, twelve of which are equal to a shilling. It is the radical denomination from which English coin is numbered. – Johnson.
2. In ancient English statutes, any or all silver money.
3. Proverbially, a small sum. He will not lend a penny.
4. Money in general. Be sure to turn the penny. – Dryden.

PEN'NY-POST, n.

One that carries letters from the post office and delivers them to the proper persons for a penny or other small compensation.

PEN-NY-ROY'AL, n.

A plant of the genus Mentha. – Fam. of Plants. The English pennyroyal is the Mentha pulegium; the North American pennyroyal is the Hedeoma pulegioides. Parr. Bigelow.

PEN'NY-WEIGHT, n.

A troy weight containing twenty four grains, each grain being equal in weight to a grain wheat from the middle of the ear, well dried. It was anciently the weight of a silver penny, whence the name. Twenty pennyweights make an ounce troy.

PEN'NY-WISE, a.

Saving small sums at the hazard of larger; niggardly on important occasions. – Bacon.

PEN'NY-WORTH, n.

1. As much as is bought for a penny.
2. Any purchase; any thing bought or sold for money; that which is worth the money given.
3. A good bargain; something advantageously purchased, or for less than it is worth. – Dryden.
4. A small quantity. – Swift.

PE-NO-LOG'IC-AL, a.

Pertaining to public punishment.

PE-NOL'O-GY, n. [Gr. ποινη, L. pœna, pain, and λογος, discourse.]

The science which treats of public punishments, as they respect the public and the sufferer.

PEN'SILE, a. [L. pensilis, from pendeo, to hang.]

1. Hanging; suspended; as, a pensile bell. – Bacon. Prior.
2. Supported above the ground; as, a pensile garden. – Prior.

PEN'SILE-NESS, n.

The state of hanging. – Bacon.